By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
2025 Western Australia Age & Open State LC Championships
- December 19-22, 2025
- HPC Perth, Perth, Australia
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Live Results
Breaststroke has for a while been a weakness for the Australian women’s swimming team, but a group of talented young swimmers rising through the ranks aim to fill that gap.
The latest is 15-year-old Brielle Dredge from the Kwinana Swimming Club, who broke through at the Western Australia State Championships the weekend before Christmas.
Dredge swept the breaststroke races, winning the 50 in 31.96, the 100 in 1:08.40, and the 200 in 2:30.35. Her previous best in the 100 breaststroke was a 1:09.70 done in July.
“I felt really strong,” said Dredge after the breaststroke swim. “I was just focusing on my technique more than anything.”
That time in the 100 ranks her 3rd-fastest all-time among Australian 15-year-olds, behind only Leisel Jones (1:07.49 – 2000) and Sienna Toohey (1:07.01 – 2024).
Toohey, now 16, was a member of Australia’s World Championship team over the summer and is the front-runner to occupy that slot through at least the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Dredge is now coming up fast behind her. Both swimmers come from outside of the typical swimming hubs – Toohey in Albury, New South Wales, and Dredge in Kwinana. They are both their clubs’ only entries on Swimming Australia’s all-time top 10 age group lists in any age category.
Also in those breaststroke races was a member of Australia’s last great golden generation of women’s breaststrokers: Sally (Foster) Hunter. Now 40, Hunter finished 2nd in the 50 breaststroke (32.08), and 3rd in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.27). She is the current Western Australia Record holder in all three women’s breaststroke races in long course.
Hunter raced at the World Masters Championships earlier this year. There, she won and set World Records in the women’s 40-44 50 breaststroke (31.48) and 100 breaststroke (1:09.24).
Hunter represented Australia at a number of international meets including the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She has eight relay World Championship medals and a 2008 Short Course World Championships silver in the 200 breaststroke.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 15-Year-Old Brielle Dredge Swims 1:08.40 in the 100 Breast at WA State Championships
